Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah left out experienced defender John Mensah in his provisional World Cup squad due to concerns over his fitness.
Mensah, 31, was hoping to gatecrash the country’s squad for the global piece after he joined Slovakia side Nitra FC but was not named in the squad announced by the coach on Monday.
But his persistent injuries did not allow him to make a case for himself after featuring only three times for the side since he joined.
Campaigns to have him included had been intense with ex-stars Sammy Kuffuor, Joe Addo and Stephen Appiah leading the charge.
But the Ghanaian trainer refused to bow down to public pressure and opted to leave him out purely on physical grounds.
“He was injured for some time and when he got a team, we were all happy for him,†Appiah told the press after naming his squad,†he told reporters on Monday
“We were hoping that he will get fit and join us but since he played 11 minutes for his club six weeks ago and got injured, he has not recovered.
“We are looking at players who are 100% fit to represent the country. We know he is a good player but it’s unfortunate he is not been playing. We wish that he is part of us.â€
The coach picked up four central defenders for the position with John Boye, Jerry Akaminko, Jonathan Mensah and Rashid Sumaila named in the squad. (Click here to relive how Ghana's World Cup squad was unveiled.)
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